Reflections of My Post-Grad Summer

It is officially the third week of August. In my mind, this means summer is pretty much over. It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago I was simultaneously excited about graduation and apprehensive about the future and starting life in the “real world.”

I’ve started thinking about everything I’ve accomplished this summer. I did, despite my worries, find a job and now I’m finally settling in at the office. I have even begun budgeting and saving my money, something I was dreading but somehow managed to handle. I’m successfully handling each project thrown at me and have already made lifelong friends at my office. I can happily say I’ve transitioned into the post-graduate world and conquered all the fears I had about whether I was ready.

Yet, I feel that something is missing, something I let slip by me in a way I never have before.

And then it hits me – I forgot to have fun this summer. I was so busy worrying about interviews, potential job offers, money, moving out of my college apartment, moving into my post-grad dwelling, money, meeting new people, too much responsibility, failing miserably, money, etc, etc, etc, that I somehow let summer slip away. Sadly, and despite everything I have managed to achieve these past few months, I have a nagging feeling of regret. How could I have let this happen? I love summer; why did I not realize it was moving so quickly?

I don’t think this feeling is uncommon; many people start working and forget how to do anything else. However, I vow to find a way to balance my work and personal lives so that I can actually go out and do the things I want to do. This doesn’t mean slacking off or using all those vacation days I just discovered I have. It simply means taking that list labeled “Things That Might Be Cool To Try” and actually making it happen.

- Haley